Reviews

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

It's been a year since I had this wine. I was a little reluctant to open this simply because I know some of these 2013 Carter wines need some time in bottle before they can really stretch their legs.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

PnP with a tight and youthful display of red and purple fruits, black cherry liqueur, wet granite, and alcohol. A total of three hours in the decanter opened it up...ever so slightly. But still, it…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A year and a half since I last had this wine. Still a youngster, with some powerful alcohol circling around the purple and red berry fruit on initial PnP. Two hours in the decanter did it well. Some…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Nose shows immediate promise with a medley of perfectly sweetened fruit and vanilla, like when the best warm cobbler is served at your table and that wave of succulent aromas hits you before it even…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

PnP was a "wow" moment, but the finish was followed up with a decent amount of heat. Otherwise, my previous notes apply. It took about two hours in the decanter and some significant swirling to blow…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

I hadn't originally planned on opening this wine, but a flawed 2012 Carter Coliseum pushed me to make sure a bottle of the 2013 wasn't having issues too.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

Slight hints of alcohol and vinegar on the nose. Same on the palate. Fruit was dead and flat; slightly sour aftertaste. No finish otherwise. Air made the alcohol and acid more pronounced. Never…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Same as my previous notes last summer. A solid bottle of wine and just what I would expect from a Carter BTK. This bottle was a bit tight and youthfully reserved initially, but it found its glide…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Same as my previous notes from 7-8 months ago. This is indeed becoming a softer, more elegant OG over time. It does seem like the flavors have room to deepen and become more complex with some…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

The final wine in the lineup - and for good reason - the Carter Three Kings showed why it can compete with the best in Napa Valley. Though I am still partial to the OG and LPV in 2014 (so far), the…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

After having the Myriad GIII (which was a very giving wine, displaying tons of dark fruit and a hedonistic mouthfeel), the Carter Weitz seemed extra tight. All of the flavors were there (previous…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

The 2012 version of this wine is stunning at the moment. This 2014 reminded me of a very young version of the 2012 (no surprise there), but the 2014 seems like it might have a little more spine. A…

Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

Starting to show a little progress from 6 months ago when I last tried it, the Hossfeld Coliseum displayed some nice Merlot-driven curves and rounded (but a little reserved) richness. Similar to my…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Jiminy H. Christmas on a popsicle stick! This wine took quite the journey before it turned into something worth consuming. I honestly don't know what in God's name happened to it initially. I opened…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Extraordinarily smooth and well crafted. Took about two hours to really open up and start showcasing its core purple and red berry fruits, red and black licorice, blue wet slate, asphalt, and some…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

I was going to wait on this, but I wanted to follow it over a couple of days. PnP was nice and vibrant, with red and black berry fruits. Not a lot of additional flavors initially, but after a few…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Bluegoose's notes are right on the money with this wine. Not much else to add. Certainly a well crafted and enjoyable wine, but somewhat overshadowed by the 2012 and 2013 vintages. Turned a little…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This was a great showing in my opinion. PnP was just slightly reserved, but it didn't take long for those plush and forward BTK purple, red, and blue berry fruit flavors to push through. Signature…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

The absolute best of the bunch for me. I had absolutely no problem picking the OG as my favorite in the lineup as soon as I took a sip of this bad boy. That clone 337 just reaches out and slaps you…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Of the BTKs, this was the most reserved at the moment. Sweet and concentrated, with notes of red and purple berry fruits, vanilla, and alcohol. The quality of fruit is again evident, as is the tannin…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Phenomenal fruit, with flashy red and purple berry notes, vanilla bean, chocolate, and pencil lead. Where this wine really shows you its presence is in its depth and mid-palate. Huge sexy "oomph" on…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Holy Mary Mother of God. If you've loved previous LPVs from Carter, you're gonna freak out over this wine. If this shakes out right, I can see this wine following its 2013 older brother and becoming…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Here is where we really started to ratchet up the intensity and complexity. This felt like a huge jump in flavors compared to the Coliseum and Fortuna. The 2014 Weitz displayed wonderful purple,…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

A wine that I absolutely fell in love with in the 2013 vintage has again showed immense promise in 2014. A bit more blue and purple berry fruits than the Coliseum Block Cabernet, with the wild red…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

The reverse of the Hossfeld, with approximately 80/20 Cabernet/Merlot. This wine showed the fruitiness of the Merlot, but kicked in with a nice spine that added some tannic structure, pleasantly…